In this first-person narrative, Makayla Mirth, an undergraduate student in the Reynolds School of Journalism, tells Nevada Today about her experience traveling to Paris, France, through the University of Nevada, Reno.
Opportunity is everywhere especially when you step outside of your comfort zone. Traveling abroad as a student journalist put my skills to the ultimate test.
I spent roughly two weeks in Paris with the Reynolds School of Journalism reporting on the French Open and local culture. Having only 10 days in a new country was not enough time to consider this a study abroad trip, or to feel like a real Parisian, but it was the perfect amount of time to get a taste of new culture, challenge myself in a completely unfamiliar environment and see the world through a journalist’s lens.
Months before the trip, I was anxious about reporting abroad, almost to the point that I no longer wanted to attend. As I reflect on this trip, I have realized that the best opportunities came from doing the things that made me the most uncomfortable.
The idea of reporting on a culture that I didn’t fully understand and being immersed in a language that I didn’t speak felt overwhelming. These two things alone felt like impossible barriers to overcome, but the pressure was on as I was required to write accurate and meaningful stories for my assignments. This class was a three-credit course taught by Jim Scripps, Alan Deutschman and Zeynep Altinay. Professors held mandatory meetings in the spring semester to prep materials and documents, which supported students in exploration, interviews and writing while in Paris.
What I quickly discovered about Paris is that differences do not separate people, but unite them. The beauty of an international city such as Paris is the diversity. People from all over the world navigate Paris every day.
I thought I would be completely out of luck trying to navigate the city with no French skills, but that didn’t matter in the end. For example, checking out at a store was a seamless experience. The cashier scans your items, asks if you’d like a bag and then asks if you’re paying with cash or card. It’s the same routine we go through back home. The shared routines of everyday life created surprising comfort. Without needing to speak a word I learned that language is only one part of universal communication skills. My lack of understanding in French was not being a huge barrier as we are connected in shared routines.
My second biggest fear was coming across as the stereotypical loud American. I expected that everyone would instantly know I did not belong. Once I arrived, I realized that while the stereotype exists in some people, it doesn’t have to define you individually. This is because Parisians reward effort and awareness. Simply starting with a polite bonjour and paying attention to unspoken social cues goes a long way. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter who you are as long as you respect the rhythm of the city and try to meet people where they are. If you are able to do this, people will open to you in ways you wouldn’t expect. Paris is not just French. It is an international city where people from everywhere visit. In fact, one of the best restaurants I went to was a pizza place that was owned and ran by an Italian guy who had moved to Paris only 6 months prior to fulfill his dream of owning a pizza place.
Although it is valuable to go with the rhythm of the city, it is important to be yourself, especially as a journalist. Being adaptable does not mean losing who you are along the way. People can tell when you're feeling uneasy or putting up a front, and that disconnect can close doors and shut down a story before it starts.
One night, I found myself at a restaurant facing exactly the kind of French waiter everyone had warned me about. He was stern, sarcastic and not shy about calling us out for being foreigners. Since I learned earlier that it was not a fact of being a foreigner but about meeting people where they are, I leaned into the moment by casually joking with him, this was something you could tell the waiter was not expecting. Because of my approach, what started as a tense interaction turned into one of the most memorable dining experiences of the trip. By showing up as myself the waiter did too, and this was often the case with my interactions in France. This helped me as a tourist and made a difference in my reporting.
My advice for any student journalist who finds this opportunity in the future is to have fun, relax and immerse yourself in the city. Often times as students we will get so worried about finding a story that it makes us very robotic and formal, especially when we are put in unfamiliar situations. The beauty of traveling abroad is that it forces you to adapt and apply skills you have never used in the comfort of local reporting.
Anytime I noticed myself enjoying the moment I naturally found people and stories that intrigued me. My last night in Paris I was enjoying a picnic on the Montmartre stairs when a local busker caught my attention. I went up to the singer after her show and ended up with an exclusive story on why local musicians perform in the parks. This was a story that would have never crossed my mind from randomly brainstorming. The artist Nina Giangrecco explained what it took to be an artist in Paris including the musicians' code of honor — if someone is waiting in line to perform, they will not take longer than an hour, in order to allow for a smooth transition of the next performer.
Traveling as a student journalist provided me lessons that can’t be taught in the classroom, such as learning how to be quick on my feet and adapt to unplanned situations.
By travelling with the purpose of writing articles, you will leave with a deeper experience than the average tourist. Going to Paris as a journalist gave me a mission to discover people, local stories and to discover the behind-the-scenes voices that make the city Paris. I would recommend all journalism students to travel abroad with a purpose at least once. As a journalism student with an emphasis in public relations, I didn’t feel as though this trip would apply to me as I do not want to be a reporter. This trip proved me wrong; it doesn’t matter who you are – writing is a skill used by everyone for everything. It is also a skill that can take you around the world.
About the author:
Makayla Mirth is going into her fourth year at the University of Nevada, Reno. She will graduate spring 2026, earning a degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Outside of class, Makayla is the engagement officer for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), a pre-professional club on campus.
